[PRP] The Three Ghosts (Minttu x Khes)

[CaliWolfe]

Minttu trudged along with a clear destination in her mind. The temple. She had heard by listening on the other lorekeepers conversations that this temple had ancient manuscripts written across the walls in stone. Thrilled at the possibility of this, she filled a small bag full of scrolls, berry juices and other items one might need to record those symbols on paper. She knew she wouldn't be able to record them exactly perfect, but even roughly similar would suffice. If there was one thing her and her ghosts could all agree upon it was that history was a subject worth investigating.

She had found a large yellow rock with some strange markings etched into it and Minttu had begun to unpack her travel kit and begin attempting to recreate the symbols using her claws.

It wasn't going exactly as planned.

"Why are we doing this?" Hathor asked Minttu through her own lips. "It seems like a big waste of time and energy."

A paused echoed before Minttu responded, again aloud for all to hear. "Because it's our job. We have to get it done." Hathor spoke again, although this time only in Minttu's head.

"We should just turn around and head home."

"Can't do that. This is more important."

"But it's sooooo boring! It's not like you want to be here even."

"Of course I want to be here." She stopped to work on her art and stare at whatever flaws it contained. "It's fun."  

[Chi Sohma]

Khes was better known as the pride's healer. He wanted to be like his mother, yet had the build of his father. Big- and just stronger than he should, but always he had a gentle touch to him. Always did he pay attention to the small details. He was now able to do almost the same as his mother used to. Before she retired. It had been a while since the pride disbanded and some left off to new adventures where Khes stayed back to be with his stubborn parents. Although his mother wanted to travel, she was beginning to get older and more sickly and it wasn't in him to leave just yet.

His sisters had tried to convince him already and to no luck. While they set off not just a week ago. He slowly began to ponder the idea of travel but it was just a small thought compared to how many others he found to 'save' in the desert. He felt like.. he was still needed here, but even that kinda of business was becoming slow even.

He heard voices coming from one of the older abandoned temples. His ears fanned about. Usually no one went around them unless they were LIVING there. Mostly they would have fresh marks now that everyone had to reclaim places. This one- had not been reclaimed..

"Hello." His voice carried around the walls and bounced around before he took another few steps in. Shadows dances and played behind him. Although he could have sworn he heard more than one voice- he came up to having his eye sights on no one but ONE in the long temple. No recognizing her, he immediately bowed his head. "Welcome." Rogues had started to pass by more often now... he wondered if they were trying to take over this land. He hoped not- still members of the old pride remained, like his mother.

CaliWolfe

 

[CaliWolfe]

'Oh look, we have company.' Hathor said with distaste.

"Don't say it like it's a bad thing." Minttu whispered under her breath. She then turned and faced the stranger, with a shy, cautious but warm force with her as she spoke. "H-Hello." She bowed swiftly in response.

Minttu had thought that she was the only one down here. Well, her, Hathor and Nousha that was. Oh, how she hoped she hadn't intruded on some pride's lands or anything. That would be terrible and it would mean she would have to explain herself to an angry lion, or bear or jaguar, or whatever it was that ruled this place!

Yet she forced her standing hairs to lay down. There was no evidence that this place had been lived in for quite some time, and the scents nearby were almost as ancient as the temple itself. It was by chance that she ran into this stranger just as it was by chance he happened upon her.

'Or is it?' She could feel one of her ghosts say. "Quiet." Minttu was quick to shut whoever it was up. Though she felt briefly her voice was loud enough to be heard that time; she covered it up with a cough and even louder voice that Hathor taught her to use.

"I'm not intruding on your den am I? We- I simply wanted to copy these markings here." She waved a paw in the direction of the rock she had found. A scroll with a sketched replica of some of the hieroglyphics on it was propped up against it. "I- we, I..." She breathed out a laugh nervously. "They're fascinating."

Chi Sohma

 

[Chi Sohma]

He still wore some of the jewelry of his pride. Gold. Hanging from misc parts of his body and cuffs with etchings in them of his bloodline. Likewise, he also wore a pouch on his hip which looked like herbs and misc other things hanging out of it.

"Did.. you say something." Then she coughed. "Are. You alright?" He didn't sound so sure, so for himself- he decided to close the gap and finally saw the female for who she seemed to be. A regular lioness.. She was etching their markings. A soft smile came out of him. "No.. This den is too big- far too lonely. Most larger families have left the area. But this -den- was really a classroom. Everyone is welcomed in the class room as long as they wish to learn and not disturb." He knew- because he used to study here.

He came up just a few feet away from her and looked at where she had been copying the markings. The rock she was using wasn't exactly the same, which meant she couldn't get the right nail in but he understood where she was coming from at least. "They are...Well, This one.. was the story about the Goddess whom used to reside here. Her story." His grandmother- well adopted grandmother. The Goddess of Confusion. "She was an amazing being. Very kind hearted. Or so I heard." Looking to her. "You traveled here specifically? Or are you lost..."

CaliWolfe

 

[CaliWolfe]

"No, no, nothing at all! And yes we're- I'm perfectly fine!" Minttu smiled very unconvincingly. She almost wished Nousha would pipe up and give her advice on how to solve the crisis she was digging herself into. It was bad enough that talking to herself was a complete embarrassment but now she was looking like a crazy women as well! Stupid Hathor ruining everything...

Oh, a classroom? How very interesting. "What type of subjects were studied here?" She asked, not being able to help herself. Minttu's thirst for knowledge was one that was not easily satisfied. She hungered to know more and more, even when she could no longer remember what it was she had originally wanted to know in the first place.

Then the stranger went on to enrich her thoughts further with the informing that the markings she was etching had some significance that wasn't all but forgotten.

"Fascinating." She could feel herself and her ghosts all say. "I mean... She used to live here, so does that mean you know a lot about her? Ah... that's probably a dumb question isn't it? It was probably just basic knowledge am I right?" She coughed and looked away in slight shame. Minttu wasn't use to talking this much without completely scaring the other individual away with her awkward pauses to converse with herself and constant questions about every tiny detail of a story.

But it was a good thing he wasn't scared off, yes?

'La, duh.' Hathor said sarcastically.
'Tell him he smells good' Nousha chittered in glee.

"Not happening." Minttu tried very hard to not let him hear that thought as she spoke it aloud. Even trying to not move her mouth as noticeably.

"Yes, yes. We- us- I! Came here to collect data. We're recording the events and facts that prove a pride once stood here. And also what led to it's end. And of course all the interesting stuff in between." Yes, all that was why they had come. Not to avoid the other lorekeepers and not to avoid other people in general, just for the sake of good, irresistible research.

Chi Sohma

 

[Chi Sohma]

One would always be cautious.. but for some reason, the more he spoke- the smaller the breaks were in her voice tone. He looked about. "The goddess of confusion, many knew of her story- where her mother entrapped her.. but far from that story all else were just hear says..." He knew of her. Personally. She too spoke a great deal to herself.. as she said 'another' resided in her. A split personality disorder- one that his mother was cured from when her adoptive mother left the lands so suddenly. Maybe THAT was their real downfall and not the drought that was said to drive them out. He knew that water was scarce but the king and queen disappearing? Many things were left unanswered and thus why his family stayed. This was their home..

But like his older sister said. "I'm sure there must be tons of other prides out there.. collapsed.. and thus create history... we are just history." Now. He looked to her. "This was a classroom of history to be exact. One to remind us of the times when the vultures had become our enemies- to teach us how to not let history repeat itself."

Giving her a nod. "I for one.. learned of my mother's trade. I wasn't so worried about history as I was to heal. Healing was what this pride needed but more so water. The all healing...remedy. Most of our medicines were based with water, even the mud that healed flesh wounds." Coming up to one of the etchings of the Goddess. "The Goddess disappeared after her cubs became adults. I can't tell you much.. most of the demise of us was at night and many....were just...gone." Many of his friends... extended family- were gone without a trace by morning and mourning became a daunting task when it came to his mother. She was fragile with such things especially with a weakening heart as it is. So they stayed.

"Others began the migration to our brotherein pride.. The Pridelands. Most of our blood had ties so many went to seek refuge there. Very few of us stayed as you can see..." The hurt in his voice as he spoke.. to be reminded of what was here. What once was. No more classes... no more will you see cubs play. Now- all of them were adults.. waiting for the other to do something or make a decision that was never going to be made.

Where do you hail from.." He finally asked.. and continued to idly observe her.

CaliWolfe

 

[CaliWolfe]

Chi Sohma

"Oh!" She was thrilled to be standing in a classroom of a subject that she was so deeply invested in. Her career relied on history, the telling of old tales and folklore. "Yes, several prides we have visited were in ruins." She did not pause to correct herself this time. "They were all intriguing to us." She was delighted to share some of the knowledge she had obtained on those missions. "Only a few of those prides had civilians who still lingered there." It was quite saddening to see those who had given up completely on their way of life, moving on without hesitation...

'If they didn't move on then we'd be bored.' Hathor reminded her. There'd be no new places to study.' She added before Minttu could snap a remark back.

"Ah, a healer!" She exclaimed aloud. "I... Uh, I mean..." She looked away in hopes he'd forget her outburst, and she did not dare interrupt again. Minttu simply listened and absorbed in the information he spoke, living through the events in her mind, and stored it away within her memory to be resaid later. To her leaders who she hoped were as interested in the news as she was.

"Letting go of the past can be difficult." She recited something Hathor once told her. "But is necessary in order to move forward." She realized how this somehow looked selfish of her to say and expanded upon it. "what I mean is everything happens for a reason, we all just need to learn to accept that's the way it's meant to be." She seemed a little ashamed as she spoke, aware that in her mind she had said something in her place to say. "Sorry." She apologized. "You probably don't need to hear that from a stranger."

"Our names are Minttu, Hathor and Nousha... No" She shook her head. "Sorry, I mean, you can call me Minttu." She brightened again. "I come from a land named Mizani'Ulimwengu, I am a Jedi Knight, and I am a lorekeeper." She was satisfied that she hadn't screwed the last part up at least.  

[Chi Sohma]

Chi Sohma

Confusion was like this, and his mother spoke highly of her. But she also told them stories of her duo personalities.. The more he heard her speak, the more it was the only conclusion. "Do they have different healing methods too?" If only for a little while .. he had once thought of leaving the pride. But those left were history.. and moving on?! He couldn't leave for too long. He had a sick mother to take care of!

"You are blessed.... or cursed aren't you." He finally spoke up in the middle of her sentence. "Although lore- are.. you looking for answers? Is that why you became that of lore? Or are you looking for others like you. Is /b] that why you came here... for our Goddess?"

He took a step closer to her.. now to analyze her up close.
"Khesbedj.."

CaliWolfe

 

[CaliWolfe]

Chi Sohma

"Blessed? C-cursed... Maybe?" She was a little surprised he would come to such a conclusion. Though it was only reason the amount of times she had mistakenly said "we" instead of "I". She was reluctant to tell him of why she felt herself to be cursed, and was quick to evade the subject by answering his question of healing.

"Our- er, my pride? There are a great many medicines we use, too many for me to count!" There were plants, herbs that grew along the grassland stretch, the forest, and the river. and then there were the foreign medicines other prides had taught the healers about. Those often took different methods to make, and smelt odd, but they helped heal nevertheless. "Many illness' have been healed by our healers, but we learn most of our medicines by travelling to far-away lands. Other prides are quite adapt you know. But we.. I was, happy to hear you're a healer. Our pride has few as of the late."

When he stepped closer to her Minttu seemed... Flustered. She was embarrassed by not only her grammatical errors, but by the whispers her ghosts whispered to her. Thoughts they wanted to voice but Minttu wouldn't dare to say. These whispers were, mainly focused on Khesbedj's appearance.

'Not a bad looker' She heard Hathor say.

He's dreamy... She felt Nousha sigh.

Minttu shook her ghosts thoughts away and began to focus more on the now. "Lore, we study lore because we know it best. Er, I mean, that is... I study lore because I can learn it better than other things. History changes many things, but preserves others. Answers to life, to why, and to how are most curious... Er. History is fascinating, I feel blessed to be able to remember all of which I've learned from it."